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Maryland Blood

An American Family in War and Peace, the Hambletons 1657 to the Present

Martha Frick Symington Sanger

At the dawn of the seventeenth century, immigrants to this country arrived with dreams of conquering a new frontier. Families were willing to embrace a life of strife and hardship but with great hopes of achieving prominence and wealth. Such is the case with the Hambleton family.

From William Hambleton’s arrival on the Eastern Shore in 1657 and through every major conflict on land, sea, and air since, a member of the Hambleton clan has participated and made a lasting contribution to this nation. Their achievements are not only in war but in civic leadership as well. Among its members are bankers, business leaders, government officials, and visionaries.

Not only is the Hambleton family extraordinary by American standards, it is also remarkable in that their base for four centuries has been and continues to be Maryland. The blood of the Hambletons is also the blood of Maryland, a rich land stretching from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the tidal basins of the mighty Chesapeake to the mountains of the west, a poetic framework that illuminates one truly American family that continues its legacy of building new generations of strong Americans.

Martha Frick Symington Sanger is an eleventh-generation descendant of pioneer William Hambleton and a great-granddaughter of Henry Clay Frick. She is the author of Henry Clay Frick: An Intimate Portrait, The Henry Clay Frick Houses, and Helen Clay Frick: Bittersweet Heiress.

"Martha Sanger’s history of the Hambletons combines scrupulous research in primary sources with a lively narrative style. The result is an outstanding family biography that covers four centuries. An enjoyable read, Maryland Blood is also a model generational history. Sanger shows how the story of specific Hambletons illustrates larger general themes in our past. This book is a must-read contribution to Maryland and the nation’s history."

— Jean Harvey Baker, Goucher College, author of Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography and Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion

A Woman of Two Worlds

Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte

Alexandra Deutsch

Alexandra Deutsch literally "unpacks" Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte’s personal belongings in this intuitively sophisticated material culture biography of the woman whose seductive beauty and tragic marriage repeatedly pulls us back for another look and, ideally, a deeper understanding of the person behind the celebrity. In addition to letters and portraits, Deutsch found bits of the story in previously overlooked objects in the vast Bonaparte family collections. Long overlooked textile scraps, for example, tell rich stories of forgiveness gifts from Jerome to Elizabeth. A lone red account book contains a record of her finances, yet turned 180 degrees reads like a journal, providing "some of the most powerful evidence of Elizabeth's internal struggles" during the French trial over her son’s legitimacy. The volume is likely one of the five in which she recorded a "skeleton" of a memoir.

Deutsch pays equal attention to the lives of Elizabeth’s son Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, "Bo," and grandsons Jerome Jr. and Charles, deftly exploring how the members of these next generations defined and perpetuated their royal heritage through material possessions. This work truly expands Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte’s story beyond the "mésalliance" with Napoleon’s younger brother and reveals the complex life of a romantic and rebellious young woman whose deep hurt drove her to the courts of Europe and who ultimately found comfort and satisfaction in her hard-won financial independence. In this well-balanced and exceptionally sensitive work, Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte finally breathes.

Alexandra Deutsch is chief curator at the Maryland Historical Society. This work is an extension of her nationally acclaimed exhibit "Woman of Two Worlds: Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte and Her Quest for an Imperial Legacy."

The Road to Jim Crow

The African American Struggle on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, 1860–1915

C. Christopher Brown

Making extensive use of primary sources, C. Christopher Brown has broken new ground and filled a long overlooked gap in Maryland history. Here is the story of African Americans on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, from the promise-filled days following the end of slavery to the rise of lynch law, segregation, and systematic efforts at disenfranchisement. Resisting, as best they could, attempts of the Democratic "White Man’s Party" to render them second-class citizens, black communities rallied to their churches and fought determinedly to properly educate their children and gain a measure of political power. The Eastern Shore's Cambridge, guided by savvy and energetic leaders, became a political and cultural center of African American life.

C. Christopher Brown is a retired civil rights attorney and professor at the University of Maryland’s Carey School of Law.

"With unflinching dedication, Chris Brown has unearthed the secret history of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He brings to life a separate world that is also heartland America. His vivid stories make the record of cross-racial democracy at once shameful, revealing, inspirational, and all too contemporary."

— Taylor Branch, author of Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954–63

Stealing Freedom Along the Mason-Dixon Line

Thomas McCreary, the Notorious Slave Catcher from Maryland

Milt Diggins

This is the story of Thomas McCreary, a slave catcher from Cecil County, Maryland. Reviled by some, proclaimed a hero by others, he first drew public attention in the late 1840s for a career that peaked a few years after passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Living and working as he did at the midpoint between Philadelphia, an important center for assisting fugitive slaves, and Baltimore, a major port in the slave trade, his story illustrates in raw detail the tensions that arose along the border between slavery and freedom just prior to the Civil War. McCreary and his community provide a framework to examine slave catching and kidnapping in the Baltimore-Wilmington-Philadelphia region and how those activities contributed to the nation’s political and visceral divide.

Milt Diggins, an independent scholar, is a former editor of the Cecil Historical Journal and a frequent contributor to local publications.

"An extraordinary book—the terrifying tale of real life human hunters who earned their living legally tracking and capturing escaped slaves, and kidnapping free people of color, in the decades leading to the Civil War. Diggins weaves a compelling narrative of a notorious slave hunter, Thomas McCreary, and others like him, who operated for years along the border between slavery and freedom in Maryland and Pennsylvania. While white and black abolitionists, escaped slaves, and their free neighbors fought McCreary and others with fists, guns, and through the courts, they discovered that the man-hunters found much support for their legal and extra-legal activities, even at the cost of innocent lives and the freedom of many more. A must-read!"

— Kate Clifford Larson, author of Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero

Indians of Southern Maryland

Rebecca Seib and Helen C. Rountree

Here at last is the story of Southern Maryland’s Native people, from the end of the Ice Age to the present. Intended for a general audience, it explains how they have been adapting to changing conditions—both climatic and human—for all of that time in a way that is jargon-free and readable. The authors, cultural anthropologists with long experience of modern Indian people, convincingly demonstrate that all through their history, Native people have behaved like rational adults, contrary to the common stereotype of Indians. Moreover, in the very early Contact Period at least, some English settlers respected them accordingly. Unfortunately, although they never went to war against the English, they were driven nearly out of existence. Yet some of them refused to leave, and, adapting yet again to a changing world, their descendants are living successfully in Indian communities today.

Rebecca Seib is an applied anthropologist and has worked with Indian people throughout the United States for over 30 years. She has assisted Indian communities in rebuilding their economies in a culturally appropriate manner. Helen C. Rountree is professor emerita of anthropology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She has been studying the Powhatan Indians in Virginia since 1969, with interests in the Algonquian-speaking Indians in adjacent states.

Maryland’s Civil War Photographs

Ross J. Kelbaugh

Maryland’s role in the Civil War continues to attract wide interest, study, and collection at the war's 150th anniversary. One reason is a vast photographic record of the people, places, and events surrounding the war, a legacy that breathes life into the sepia-toned past. Maryland's Civil War Photographs presents the largest collection of original Maryland-related Civil War photographs ever published. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of institutions and a small group of collectors, the compelling stories of Marylanders’ patriotism, bravery, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph have been preserved for future generations. What we present here is a collection of the most significant outdoor views, interiors (which had to be made with only natural light), and studio portraits combined to place them in the historical context of their creation.

Ross J. Kelbaugh, founder and CEO of HistoricGraphics.com, is a veteran collector, interpreter, and educator. Over four decades, he has assembled the largest private collection of vintage Maryland photographs and related material in the state.

"In a very remarkable collection... this finely bound and printed book presents the work of skilled photographers who captured soldiers and civilians, prisoners of war and working artisans while they were at the studio, on the battlefield, in the campsite, the hospital and the home front."

All but forgotten by Americans, the War of 1812 (1812–1815) was a dramatic watershed for the young, groundbreaking United States Republic. Ill-prepared to fight the powerful English nation, the U.S. struggled through three years of conflict but emerged more unified with new patriotic symbols like the "Star-Spangled Banner." Much of the fighting occurred in the Chesapeake region and this new book, In Full Glory Reflected, uncovers its gripping stories of devastating raids, heroic defense, gallant privateers, fugitive slaves, and threatened lands. The historic tales unfold with a lively narrative, well over a hundred vivid illustrations, and clear maps to follow the action. In addition, a travel section provides a rich guide for adventurers who want to step back 200 years and explore the tidewater world where the war was fought. In Full Glory Reflected is an enchanting invitation to travel the Star- Spangled Banner National Historic Trail and discover the amazing world of our ancestors.

Ralph E. Eshelman is a cultural resource consultant, historian, researcher, and writer. Burton K. Kummerow is the previous president and CEO of the Maryland Historical Society and is current president of Historyworks, Inc.

187 Things You Should Know about the War of 1812

An Easy Question-and-Answer Guide

Donald R. Hickey

Long overshadowed by the American Revolution and the Civil War, the War of 1812 remains a largely forgotten conflict. Its origins as part of the larger Napoleonic wars layered complex issues that to this day make the conflict difficult to understand. The bicentennial of the War of 1812 is now upon us. With an engaging question-and-answer format, this book offers a concise and informative introduction to the War of 1812, clearing much of the fog that surrounds it.

Donald R. Hickey is a professor of history at Wayne State College. He has written widely on the War of 1812, including the books The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict; The War of 1812: A Short History; and, as coauthor, The Rockets' Red Glare: An Illustrated History of the War of 1812 and The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake: A Reference Guide to Historic Sites in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the last two also published by Johns Hopkins.

" 187 Things You Should Know about the War of 1812 is a choice pick for public, high school, and even college library collections due to its concise, reader-friendly format."

— Midwest Book Review

"The book is illustrated with paintings, drawings, and maps to aid the student in understanding what events and battles took place and their significance towards ending the conflict."

Betsy Bonaparte

Helen Jean Burn

Over the past 130 years, Elizabeth "Betsy" Patterson Bonaparte has inspired countless books, movies, articles, and fictionalized accounts, yet none captures the full measure of her fascinating life. The product of thirty years of study, Helen Jean Burn’s life of Betsy Bonaparte surpasses its predecessors in scope, depth, and soul.

Born in Baltimore to a wealthy family in 1785, Elizabeth Patterson shook local and Parisian society when she wed Jerome Bonaparte, brother of the Emperor Napoleon. Determined to secure a better future for his brother, the emperor annulled the marriage, but not before it produced a son, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte. Shrewd and successful in real estate dealings, Betsy's quest to win royal status for her son and grandsons consumed the remainder of her ninety-four years.

Helen Jean Burn spent most of her working life in television, and as head writer for Maryland Public Television, specialized in historical documentaries. She is the author of two books: Savannah, a historical novel, and Better than the Birds, Smarter than the Bees: No Nonsense Answers to Honest Questions about Sex and Growing Up. She has also published work in such magazines as Redbook, McCall's, and Good Housekeeping.

Combat Correspondents

The Baltimore Sun in World War II

Joseph R.L. Sterne

The Baltimore Sun covered World War II with an outstanding team of combat correspondents, among them three future Pulitzer Prize winners. The correspondents witnessed momentous events: Anzio and Cassino; D-Day; Black Christmas in the Bulge; the crossing of the Rhine; the link up with the Russians on the Elbe; the German surrender at Rheims; the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa; and the Japanese surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri.

They took enormous risks. Price Day was in action at Anzio and Cassino; Holbrook Bradley landed with the 29th Division on the Normandy beaches. Lee McCardell narrowly escaped death when a bomb exploded near his jeep. Howard Norton was on a subchaser when a Japanese shell killed most of its crew. Philip Heisler’s escort carrier nearly capsized in a typhoon.

They filed stories from the front lines of history. Norton scooped the world on the execution of Mussolini. Day and McCardell were among the first to file stories on Nazi atrocities and death camps. The doyen of these correspondents, Mark Watson, wrote prescient articles on military strategy. All of them sent back gritty stories of the endurance and humor of ordinary G.I.s.

This was a time when correspondents wore uniforms, censors could block their stories, and journalists wrote on portable typewriters and traveled dozens of miles to file their stories. Enjoying a personal freedom of movement and decision-making unknown in today’s electronic era, these newspaper men were working at a time when print journalism was the prime medium for news. Their dispatches, which reported the war with the immediacy of real time, make up the core of this book.

Joseph R.L. Sterne is himself a veteran reporter, not unfamiliar with war zones. His career at the Baltimore Sun spanned over four decades, as reporter, bureau chief in London and Bonn, a roving correspondent in sub-Saharan Africa, assistant bureau chief in Washington DC, and editorial page editor for a record twenty-five years. He has known all the wartime correspondents personally.

Publication of this work was made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Press of the Maryland Historical Society

Chesapeake Ferries

A Waterborne Tradition, 1636–2000

Clara Ann Simmons

Clara Ann Simmons moved to Maryland’s Eastern Shore more than fifty years ago and marveled at this land of rivers and creeks and bays. A journalist by profession, she became fascinated with water travel in the Chesapeake region, that intricate network of connections “that set the traveler on his way so that he might continue his journey.”

Thus opens an engaging and gracefully written narrative that takes the reader from the earliest days of colonial settlement when all who journeyed through the region crossed the waterways, to the age of bridge building that changed forever the way people reach their destinations. Beautifully illustrated with dozens of photographs and maps, Chesapeake Ferries is a tribute to the region’s maritime past.

Clara Ann Simmons, a resident of Maryland's Eastern Shore for most of her adult life, published four children's books, including Sauncey and Mr. King's Gallery. Ms. Simmons passed away in 2008.

Publication of this work was made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Press of the Maryland Historical Society

Treasure in the Cellar

A Tale of Gold in Depression-Era Baltimore

Leonard Augsburger

Coin collectors and enthusiasts have long been familiar with the story of two boys who unearthed a fortune in gold coins while playing in a Baltimore basement in 1934. But the rest of the story trailed off while playing in a Baltimore basement in 1934. But the rest of the story trailed off to a few odd details. Lifelong coin collector Lenonard Augsburger uncovered the rest on the story. What happened to the kids? The gold? Who buried it in the first place?

Leonard Augsburger is an engineering manager in the telecommunications industry. He has written numerous articles for numismatic hobby periodicals and is a frequent speaker at numismatic events. He is a member of the Maryland Historical Society, the American Numismatic Association, and the American Numismatic Society.

Publication of this work was made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Press of the Maryland Historical Society.

A Maryland Sampling

Girlhood Embroidery 1738-1860

Gloria Seaman Allen, Ph. D.

A Maryland Sampling brings together for the first time a rich collection of Maryland samplers and pictorial embroideries and the stories of the girls who created them. With more than 150 color photographs-most never before published-the book showcases the most skillful, unusual, and interesting aspects of Maryland girlhood embroidery, illustrating regional, religious, and racial diversity. This beautifully crafted book will appeal to many, including modern day embroiderers, students of women’s history, the decorative arts, and Maryland history Unique to Maryland are the antebellum samplers and needlework pictures worked by African American girls-primarily daughters of Baltimore’s free blacks. Appendices provide researchers with names of all documented examples of Maryland needlework and all documented schools and teachers, as well as a list of all students known to have worked silk pictorial embroideries at Saint Joseph’s Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Gloria Seaman Allen is former curator and director of the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington, D.C. She is the author of A Maryland Album: Quiltmaking Traditions, 1634–1934.

Challenging Slavery in the Chesapeake

Black and White Resistance to Human Bondage, 1775-1865

T. Stephen Whitman

The very cradle of American slavery the Chesapeake, brought forth vigorous resistance to that terrible institution. Now T. Stephen Whitman (Author of The Price of Freedom) describes the ideas, attitudes, and complex human relationships that gave it form and momentum. Following the Revolution, in which large numbers of blacks sought their freedom by fighting for the British, a largely white abolition movement born of religious beliefs and revolutionary idealism flowered briefly, then fell into lingering decline by the 1850s. Rising from these pages are the idealists-Benjamin Lundy, William Lloyd Garrison, William Still, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and Frederick Dougless- whose pens and voices would not be stilled. Here, too, are the warriors- Harriet Tubman, Gabriel, Nat Turner, William Parker, John Brown. As formidable as they were, their struggle to end slavery would have failed but for the thousands of men and women, enslaved and free, who changed history with individual acts of determination and defiance.

T. Stephen Whitman is an assistant professor of history at Mount St. Mary's University and the author of The Price of Freedom: Slavery and Manumission in Baltimore and Early National Maryland.

Paperback Page count, 320 ISBN:9780938420965 December 2006 $20.00 Order Now